babylon_berlinfandomcom-20200222-history
Episode 1
Plot Summary The opening scene is a session with a heavily-scarred hypno-therapist, introducing us to our main protagonist, Gereon Rath. He brings Gereon back to the source of his fear – a cathedral in Cologne, his hometown. Gereon wears a military uniform. He begins to exit the cathedral, and sees a woman in a bridal gown – the woman he loves – beside another man in a military uniform, presumably the groom. The groom keeps him from the woman he loves. Gereon screams. A train is en route from the Soviet Union to Berlin. A tree spontaneously catches fire and falls across the tracks, forcing the train to brake. Armed men emerge from the forest and take the train crew prisoner, promising not to harm them, and some exchange clothes with the crewmen. They attach an identical tanker car to the train. The infiltrators restart the train as the others execute the former crewmen. Cut to Gereon, in Berlin. His hand shakes, which he quells with a bottle of laudanum. Gereon gathers with his partner, Bruno Wolter, and a squad of policemen. They raid a pornography studio. While searching the premises, Bruno pockets a clip of cash that he finds. Gereon confronts the director of the pornographic film, Herr Koenig, who spits on him. Bruno punches Koenig in retaliation. A noise draws Gereon and Bruno to the back rooms, where they find a man – Franz Krajewski – preparing adolescent boys for their part in the scene. Krajewski bolts when Bruno apparently recognizes him. Gereon and Bruno pursue onto the roof. Gereon drops his pistol down the alleyway as the wind gusts. He confronts an armed Krajewski without a weapon. Bruno disarms Krajewski the moment he shoots (and misses, barely), pocketing the weapon. Bruno chides Gereon, prying out the bullet fired. Bruno questions Krajewski, and the latter agrees to become a police informant. During questioning, Krajewski reveals himself as a veteran with severe PTSD. Bruno derides him as a coward. Cut to a young girl, Toni Ritter, awakening to an empty bed. She eventually finds her sister, Charlotte, in the bathroom, who has worked through the night and is preparing to work another job during the day. The family is short on rent, even with Charlotte’s contribution. Evidently, she is the only member of her family who finds steady work. On the way to the station, Bruno gives Gereon the bullet that almost killed him, explaining how Krajewski was a washed-out policeman due to his trembling habit. Bruno’s exposition demonstrates that he was a veteran of the Western Front and believes “cowards and traitors” betrayed the war effort. At the police headquarters, Charlotte joins a cluster of women intending to volunteer for work, greeting the City Councilor August Benda as he passes by. Charlotte greets a young man passing by – Stefan Jaenicke. Charlotte manages to find work transcribing homicide photographs thanks to Jaenicke’s intercession. Bruno interrogates Herr Koenig...about Gereon, as both are natives of Cologne. Gereon has high connections with the Cologne city police and government. Evidently, Wolter wants to know why Gereon has been loaned to the Berlin vice squad. Gereon interrupts the torture, asking Koenig about “the film”. Koenig tells Gereon to tell his benefactor to pay the blackmail. Krajewski visits the hypno-therapist from the opening scene, telling him that they were caught by the police, and that Koenig did not destroy “the film” despite the therapist’s explicit instructions. The train pulls into a station on the German border. The imposter driver claims it is a cargo of pesticides. A group of German army (Reichswehr) officers drive up. A prominent bespectacled one – Generalmajor Seegers – signs for the train to pass the border. The train drives on. One of the infiltrators climbs a telegraph pole and sends a message that the train is en route, received by the bearded violinist Alexei Kardakov. Kardakov visits his lover, the blond-haired Countess Sorokina. The shot lingers on a painting of a noble family. A chef prepares a leg of octopus as Kardakov, Sorkina, and their musical ensemble practice for a performance at the Moka Efti nightclub and restaurant. The owner of the Moka Efti – known merely as “The Armenian” – sits down with a business partner, who is served the octopus and whose brother has been scamming him on alcohol sales. The Armenian heavily implies that he is serving the man his own brother’s tongue as “octopus”, but this is left vague. The Armenian is informed that “Dr. Schmidt is outside”. The Armenian goes out to meet Dr. Schmidt about Herr Koenig, agreeing to “take care of him”, afterward whispering to a man wearing a Catholic priest’s collar. Gereon searches the confiscated pornographic film. He finds a single frame – a bound, naked man with his face censored being abused by two dominatrices. Gereon and Charlotte collide coming off a paternoster. They attempt to organize their horrifying photographs from Vice and Homicide which have jumbled together. At his hotel, Gereon is informed he will have to vacate soon due to his room being booked by a labor union for the May Day celebrations. Gereon receives a letter from a lover in Cologne, named Helga. Gereon decides to go out to a local bar, where he unexpectedly takes part in the unorthodox dancing. Kardakov and Sorokina go to a printing shop staffed by communists. The train is apparently destined for them. They are revealed as Trotskyists opposed to Stalin, named the “Red Fortress” (or "Rote Festung"). Category:Episodes Category:Season 1